Much has been said about land acknowledgements and whether they are appropriate and/or valuable for church communities in areas where native peoples once lived and thrived. This idea of valuing and remembering those who have come before is part of the larger Anglican tradition both through its services and prayers (with the liturgies of All Saints/All Souls Day), and through its buildings and grounds (The stained-glass windows with the names honoring those who were once here and our plaques that adorn our spaces).
It is the goal of the Vestry of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and its people to honor the memory of those who were stewards of this land before our ancestors came here, acknowledge the atrocities that were brought upon them in Nevada County and look to support them in their future as they seek to restore their federal recognition.
To this end, we are seeking a relationship with the Nisenan people and ways to support their efforts to regain their dignity, helping others learn about the history of the Nisenan people in this area.
We understand that our church is built upon the Ancestral Homelands of the Nisenan people. We acknowledge that descendants of original Tribal families still live here among us and have yet to recover from the genocide of their people. As a congregation worshipping on these lands today, we support the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe in their efforts to stabilize their people, as well as their campaign to restore Federal recognition.